The present invention relates to a method for guaranteeing at least one characteristic of a fluid used for producing food products.
The requirements in terms of safety and quality are becoming increasingly important in the food industry.
Thus, it seems to be desirable to guarantee that certain characteristics of the fluids used for producing food products possess acceptable values. These characteristics are, for example, characteristics relating to the content of chemical, physical or biological impurities.
The fluids to which the invention relates may be used as technological auxiliary and are therefore not involved in or do not come into contact with the finished food products up to the moment of their consumption. They are, for example, cryogenic fluids used for cooling the food products.
Such fluids may also be used as additives or as ingredients, and they therefore remain in or in contact with the finished food products. These are, for example, fluids used as propellents or for forming protective atmospheres or for modifying the pH.
EP-932 007 discloses a method of filtering, in liquid phase, a cryogenic fluid in order to remove microorganisms and/or physical particles. The cryogenic fluid is, for example, used in the agri-food industry. This filtration method does not include a step of measuring a characteristic of the cryogenic fluid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,848 discloses a method of sterilizing a cryogenic liquid by filtration. This method too does not include a step of measuring a characteristic of the cryogenic liquid.
FR-2 728 803 discloses a method of delivering dry air comprising steps of purifying compressed air, but no step of measuring a characteristic of this air.
WO-98/48259 discloses an in-line method for quantitatively and qualitatively differentiating between biotic and abiotic particles in a gas. This method can be used in the food industry.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,428,555 discloses a system for obtaining and analyzing information relating to a method of producing semiconductor chips using a gas. That document does not mention the step of measuring a characteristic of the gas.
EP-584 747 discloses the use of high-purity helium for producing products. A purity measurement is carried out downstream of the purification devices that are connected in parallel and contain desiccants, adsorbents and/or oxidation catalysts. Such a measurement is used to determine whether the helium has to pass via one or other or via both devices in order to ensure satisfactory purification. Helium is not a fluid used for producing food products, but it can be used as a tracer for any leaks in a package. The method described is also not suitable for such production, as it does not guarantee that the products have been produced with a fluid, at least one characteristic of which complies with a predetermined constraint.
Thus, none of these documents provides a method for guaranteeing at least one characteristic of a fluid used for producing food products.
It is an object of the invention to solve this problem.
This is because it should be pointed out that although the quality of the gases delivered by the gas producer and/or supplier is usually guaranteed, on the other hand no guarantee or no systematic control of the quality of the gases from the chemical, physical and/or microbiological standpoint is provided at the point of use. The influence of the system on the quality of the gas is not monitored, and likewise the constancy over time of the quality of the gases at the point of use is not checked.
The generalized use of HACCP methods in food companies requires users to establish critical control points where risks (of a microbiological, physical or chemical nature) may arise. The quality of the gases at the point of use is therefore a critical point to be controlled within the context of this approach so as to ensure that the gas in contact with the food is not a source of contamination.
The object of the present invention is to formulate an overall approach for controlling and/or guaranteeing the quality of the gases or of the gas mixture from production to the point of use from the microbiological, physical and chemical standpoint.
It is preferable to include the setting up of measures for removing chemical, physical and/or microbiological contaminants at the point of use, the setting-up of a control system for checking the quality of the gases or of the gas mixture right up to the point of use, the setting-up of a continuous recording system for archiving the information (measurements, maintenance operations, failures) that occur along the gas delivery line and the setting-up of a traceability system for linking the delivery of the gases with the customer's production batches.